rowbotham



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

WT ROWBOTHAM. 01E, G As, 0E LIKE ENGINE.

No. 595,497. Patented Dc. 14, 1897.

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(No Model.)

- 4 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. ROWBOTHAM. OIL, GAS, 0B LIKEV ENGINE.

Patented Deo. 14,1897'.

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W. ROWBOTHAM. oIL, GAS, 0E LIKE ENGINE.

No. 595,497. Patented Deo. I4, 1897.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

W. ROWBOTHAM. OIE, GAS, 0R LIKE ENGINE.

No. 595,497. .Patented Deo. 14, 1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

WALTER ROWBOTHAM, OF BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

OEL, GAS, OR LIKE ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,497, dated December 14, 1897. Application filed April 3D, 1896. Serial No. 589,775. (No model.)

To all whom t .may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER RowBoTHAM, electrical engineer, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at 27 Vittoria Street, Birmingham, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oil, Gas, or Like Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference being hady to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates more particularly to that class of motor-engines worked by explosive or combustible mixtures of air and hydrocarbon or other oil, and has for its chief object the Vaporization of the oil by means of an electrically-heated body situated within or forming part of thevaporizing or combustion chamber. The ignition `of the explosive charges may be effected by any suitable electric sparking contrivances,such as those hereinafter described.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, I will describe the same more fully, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure l is a longitudinal section of the working cylinder of an oil-engine provided with :my improvements. The example of cylinder here shown has two pistons moving in opposite directions; but myimprovements are equally applicable to engines having only one piston. Fig. 2 is an elevation, and Fig.. 3 an end View, showing, on a larger scale, the electrically-heated body employed in Fig. 1. Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively a plan and edge view of a modified form of the electricallyheated body. Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively a plan and edge view of a further modified form of the electrically-heated body. Fig. 8 is an elevation, also on a larger scale, of one of the igniters employed in Fig. l. Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section similar to Fig. l, but

shows a modied arrangement in which the electrically-heated body forms partfof the combustion-chamber. Fig. lO is a longitudinal section of one of the pistons provided with a sparking contrivance of theA kind shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 1l is another longitudinal section similar to Fig. 1, but shows a modified arrangement in which the aforesaid heated body is located in a vaporizing-chamber communicatin g with the working cylinder.

-A is the working cylinder; B B, the pistons; C C, the piston-rods; D, the oil-inlet valve; E, the air-inlet valve; F, the exhaust-valve; G, the crank-shaft, andvH a feed-pump for supplying oil to the oil-inlet valve D. This pump is worked from an eccentric G on the crank-shaft.

Referring more particularly to Fig. l, A' is the explosion or combustion chamber,which is situated between the tWo pistons B. This chamber is provided with a lining A2 of asbestos, fire-clay, indestructible porcelain, or other refractory material, and the inner ends ofthe pistons are also provided with similar material B'.

I is the electrically-heated body, which is situated within the combustion-chamber A and in such a position that the charge of oil will be injected by the aforesaid pump H onto the said heated body preferably in the form of a spray or shower through the sprayingnozzle d. The electrically-heated body here shown consists of a cylindrical or tubular piece of indestructible porcelain or other appropriate material, which is formed with a spiral groove t' (see Figs. 2 and 3) for the reception of a copper or other wire i', which is wound into the said spiral groove 'L'. This spiral groove serves to insulate the convolutions of wire from each other. The ends of the said wire are connected to insulated terminals 213, which are situated outside the cylinder A and provided with binding-screws for enabling conductors 4 i4, conveying electric current from any suitable source of electric supply, to be connected thereto. When a current of electricity is allowed to flow through the aforesaid wire, the body I becomes sufficiently heated to vaporize the charges of oil admitted to the combustionchamber A; but in no case is the current of electricity such as to render the electricallyheated body incandescent, because air being at this time in the combustion-chamber and vacting as a supporter of combustion should the said body be heated to incandescence it would ignite the oil charge before the latter could be effectually vaporized.

.I J J are the igniters, which here consist of screw-plugs carrying wires]l j, between the inner adjacent ends of which the sparks for igniting the explosive charge are produced.

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These electrical igniters are arranged in series, so that they all spark simultaneously when the pistons B have completed their inward stroke and fully compressed the explosive charge.

Instead of employing an electrically-heated body of cylindrical form, as above described, I may use a disk of indestructible porcelain or other suitable materia-l (see Figs. 4 and 5) having convolutions ofwire embedded therein or a rectangular plate, Figs. 6 and 7, with a sinuous wire embedded therein. The disk or plate can be arranged in the combustionchamber A in approximately the same position as that in which the cylinder I is arranged, the fiat surface of the disk or plate being located opposite to the spraying-nozzle d, or the electrically-heated body may be arranged within a vaporizing-ehamber K, (see Fig. 11,) communicating with the explosionchainberA, and in t-his case the spraying-nozzle d opens into the said chamber K.

In Fig. 9 the electrically-heated body is shown in the form of a metal bobbin or cylinder L, which is wound with copper or other suitable wire insulated by asbestos or other material that will prevent the wire from becoming overheated. This insulated Wire is surrounded by a coating or jacket L of asbestos or other refractory material to retard the transmission of heat to the exterior of the bobbin.

The bobbin is adapted to tightly fit inside the working cylinder A, the said coating or jacket Ll projecting somewhat beyond the periphery of the flanges Z of the bobbin, so that the said lianges do not come into contact with the cylinder. The conduction of heat by these flanges to the cylinder is thus prevented.

The sparking device here shown for igniting the explosive charges consists of pivoted lingers b b, (see also Fig. 10,) carried by the pistons B. These lingers are provided with tails ZJ', which rest against the ends of the pistons and thereby keep the fingers in such a position that as the pistons perform their inward stroke the said fingers will make sliding contact with an insulated electrode M, projecting through the bobbin L into the explosion-chamber. The aforesaid fingers are in electrical connection with a wire Z2 through the cylinder A or other metallic part of the engine, and this wire forms part of the same circuit in which the electrode M is located. As the pistons move inwardly and compress the explosive charge in the working cylinder a contact is operated by some moving part of the engine to close the said circuit, whereby sparking between the electrode M and the fingers Z1 takes place and ignites the explosive charge.

The conducting-circuit of any of the electrically-heated bodies should be in circuit with the linger b and electrode M. This enables the vaporizing-circuit to be also used for ignition purposes and, moreover, provides for regulating the temperature to which the said body is raised, so that it never becomes incandescent. By reason of the contact-fin gers ZJ being connected to the pistons they act to make and break the circuit with more or less speed, and this is equivalent to automatically putting extra resistances in the circuit as the speed of the engine increases. Consequently less current fiows through the heated body. Its temperature does not therefore rise as the combustion-chamber becomes hotter, as would otherwise be the case. Thus if a twelveampere current pass through the said body when the engine is stationary such engine when making from two hundred to three hundred revolutions per minute would decrease such current to about two amperes. When igniters of the kind indicated in Fig. l are employed, a similaretfect may be obtained by employing contact make-and-break devices in the circuits, as shown at Z Z ZH in Fig. l.

l. In an explosive-engine, the combination with a cylinder having a vaporizing-chambcr and means for introducing oil therein, of an electrically -heated body arranged in said chamber, and means for making and breaking the circuit of said electricallyheated body with a rapidity corresponding to the speed of the engine, whereby the maximum temperature of the said body is prevented from being raised sufficiently to cause it to become incandescent, substantially as described.

2. In an explosive-engine, the combination with a cylinder having a vaporizing-chamber, of a non-incandescent electrically-heated body and a make-and-break electric igniting device, said electrically-heated body and igniting device being included in a circuit common to both, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day of April, 1896.

WALTER ROVVBOTIIAM.

lVitnesses: y ARTHUR A. BERGIN, WM. M. MARSH JACKSON.

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